Adverse childhood experiences and traumatic events experienced or witnessed at any point during one’s lifetime can sometimes prompt the emergence of some mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (c-PTSD). Past studies suggest that these disorders emerge from epigenetic factors, or in other words, from changes in gene activity that occur in response to the environment or experiences.
Researchers at University of South Florida and Harvard University recently carried out a study aimed at shedding new light on the epigenetic processes associated with social adversity and traumatic stress. Their paper, published in Nature Mental Health, specifically focused on micro-RNA (miRNA), small molecules that control the amount of proteins produced by genes and play a key role in the regulation of gene expression.
Gene expression is the process via which cells convert instructions stored in a person’s DNA into proteins that will carry out specific functions in the body. Life experiences and other environmental factors typically play a central role in determining what genes will be expressed, also by prompting changes in miRNA levels.
Delving into the epigenetics of trauma
The authors of the recent paper wanted to explore the possibility that social adversity and the severity of PTSD symptoms are linked with specific miRNA changes. To do this, they analyzed data collected as part of a long-term community study that recorded data from people based in Detroit.
“We hypothesized that miRNA expression may be associated with PTSD symptom severity in the context of social adversity,” wrote Chengqi Wang, Monica Uddin and their colleagues in their paper. “To test this hypothesis, we leveraged longitudinal data from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study, a community-based, prospective cohort of predominantly African Americans.”
The Detroit Neighborhood Health Study collected blood samples from people living in Detroit from 2008 to 2013. Participants were interviewed on the phone and asked questions about their demographics, past experiences, environment and health. They also took part in health assessments and provided blood samples, from which genetic data could also be derived.
As part of their study, Wang, Uddin and their colleagues analyzed the responses and blood-derived RNA data of a total of 483 people who had taken part in the Detroit Neighborhood Health study. They particularly looked at PTSD symptoms recorded during psychological evaluations, social adversity experienced by the participants, and miRNA levels.
“Results identified 86 miRNAs that are associated with social adversities (financial difficulties, perceived discrimination, cumulative trauma) and post-traumatic stress severity,” wrote Wang, Uddin and their colleagues. “These miRNAs are involved primarily in the immune response, brain and neural function, as well as cell cycle and differentiation, and 23 (25%) have previously been associated with conditions related to post-traumatic stress disorder, including traumatic brain injury and stress response.”
Informing PTSD prevention and mental health interventions
This recent study identified 86 micro-RNAs that appeared to be linked to both the social adversity experienced by the participants they studied and the severity of the PTSD symptoms they exhibited. Notably, several of these miRNAs also play a role in the function of the immune system and various brain functions.
“Our findings offer a fresh perspective on understanding the epigenetic role of miRNA in the interaction between social adversity and traumatic stress,” wrote the authors.
The results of the team’s analyses offer new insight into the epigenetic processes associated with adverse life experiences and PTSD. This insight could help to paint a clearer picture of the mechanisms linked with a greater psychological resilience to stressful events and those that instead increase the risk of developing PTSD.
In the future, the recent work by Wang, Uddin and their colleagues might also guide the development of prevention programs for PTSD or treatment plans that take the unique genetic profile and experiences of individual patients into account.
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Publication details
Chengqi Wang et al, The relationship between social adversity, micro-RNA expression and post-traumatic stress in a prospective, community-based cohort, Nature Mental Health (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s44220-025-00581-6
Journal information:
Nature Mental Health
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